A firefighter was covered in soot after coming out of a house fire in the 3700 block of Clinton Avenue.
— John Gibbins

San Diego  Separate fires heavily damaged two residences and displaced several people in southeastern San Diego Wednesday morning.

A space heater was to blame for an 8:40 a.m. blaze at a house on South 58th Street at Mariposa Place in Alta View, near National City, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials said.

Firefighters had most of the flames out in about 10 minutes. Damage was estimated at $400,000, a dispatcher said.

Paramedics took one person to a hospital for treatment. The Red Cross assisted two adults and three children who lived at the house, dispatchers said.

Investigators were still at the 58th Street home when fire crews were sent to a house on Clinton Street at South 37th Street in Mountain View.

Firefighters saw heavy smoke pouring from the residence about 9:40 a.m. It took them about 20 minutes to control the blaze.

A person suffered smoke inhalation and went to a hospital, and the Red Cross was asked to help two people, a dispatcher said.

Damage to the house was estimated at $300,000. The cause of that fire remained under investigation.

A fire at a house in the 3700 block of Clinton avenue which was heavily damaged in a morning fire on January 2, 2012. The resident of the home was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and transported to UCSD hospital.
— John Gibbins

A fire at a house in the 3700 block of Clinton avenue which was heavily damaged in a morning fire on January 2, 2012. The resident of the home was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and transported to UCSD hospital.
— John Gibbins